


Misery Business

by madsholland



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/F, F/M, M/M, Modern Era
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-23
Updated: 2021-02-10
Packaged: 2021-03-14 22:40:17
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,285
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28928190
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/madsholland/pseuds/madsholland
Summary: Modern Marauders AU set in Los Angeles, California.Remus meets James Potter, Sirius Black, and Lily Evans while in college at UC Berkeley. This story picks up 4 years later and follows our marauders navigating life together.
Relationships: James Potter/Lily Evans Potter, Marlene McKinnon/Dorcas Meadowes, Sirius Black/Remus Lupin
Comments: 2
Kudos: 20





	1. Chapter 1

It was a relatively quiet afternoon as Remus sat at the counter of Beedle the Bard, the book cafe had only a few patrons browsing the shelves or enjoying a late lunch. Afternoons like this were his favorite; the soft melody of the music and quiet chatter creating the ideal environment for Remus to write. He found that it was easy to complete the majority of his freelance pieces while on shift at the cafe, freeing up his evenings to go out with friends or work on his own projects.

The freelance pieces weren’t his favorite, often small jobs such as magazine articles or newsletters, but they helped to supplement his income from the cafe until he found a more steady writing position or finished his book. Los Angeles rent was no joke and he was just barely able to afford the two bedroom apartment he lived in with Marlene.

“Excuse me?”

Remus closed his notebook, sliding his pen inside to mark his page before looking up the customer with a smile. It was a young woman, probably only a few years younger than he was, wearing a UC Berkeley sweatshirt.

“Hi there, how can I help you?”

“I was wondering if you had any Tolstoy? I’m having some trouble finding it.”

“Sure. We have a Classics section along the wall just over there,” Remus answered, pointing to his left to show her where to look.

“Great, thank you so much.”

He watched as the girl walked away and found his mind wandering to his own memories at Berkeley. How almost four years had gone by since he graduated from the school, Remus had no idea. The memory of James Potter and Sirius Black bursting through his bedroom door and dragging him to a party on the first day of freshman year was still so clear in his mind that it seemed hardly any time had passed at all.

Remus smiled fondly at the memory before turning his attention back to his notebook. The rest of the shift passed relatively quickly and before he knew it, Dorcas was walking in to relieve him for the evening shift.

“Hey Dorcas.” He greeted her as he stood from his spot at the counter, tucking his notebook into his backpack.

“Hey Remus! How was it today?”

“Not bad. Pretty quiet all afternoon. You going to meet me and Marlene at The Raven Room tonight?”

“Wouldn’t miss it! You know I can’t pass up a night of upscale debauchery. Is your mans coming tonight?”

“Yeah, he’s going to meet up with us later after a work dinner.”

“Great! See you later, love,” Dorcas said, reaching up on her tip-toes to plant a kiss on his cheek before taking her place at the counter. Remus waved goodbye before heading out of the cafe to walk to his car.

The drive from Highland Park to North Hollywood was usually jammed with traffic at this hour, but the rent on the apartment they were able to snag more than made up for the commute. Remus had gotten lucky finding Marlene; she’d been one of the first to respond to his Craigslist posting looking for a roommate and they had hit it off almost instantly. It saved him from the daily phone calls Lily made telling him he was going to end up murdered. Remus would never admit this to her, but he did receive more than a few questionable responses to his posting aside from Marlene.

As the elevator doors opened to the third floor, Remus could hear the low thrum of bass coming from down the hall signaling that Marlene was home from work already. When he opened the door to the apartment, Remus was met with the sound of Fleetwood Mac mixed with the slightly off key sound of Marlene’s voice singing along. He couldn’t help but smile as he took in the site of his roommate.

Marlene was smiling wide, already dressed and ready in her outfit for the theme night. She was wearing a long sleeve orange and brown patterned dress with a brown faux-fur trimmed vest and platform heels. Her blonde hair fell in loose curls down her back, bouncing as she jumped along to the music from her record player.

“Remus! Are you ready for Seventies Night?” she exclaimed, running over to grab his hand and pull him to the center of the living room to join him. She was a good six inches shorter than he was but that didn’t stop her from attempting to twirl Remus under her arm and dip him toward the ground.

“Oh, I can’t wait. You know how much I love The Beatles.”

“I’ve taken the liberty of raiding your closet to find you the perfect outfit for tonight. Come look!”

Marlene dragged him by the hand toward his bedroom, where she had laid out clothes on his bed like his mother used to do for him as a child. She’d pulled out a pair of brown corduroy pants, burnt orange button down and a cream colored v-neck sweater.

“I thought it would look great if we matched. What do you think?”

“Looks perfect. I can’t argue with your keen eye for fashion.”

They had a few hours before they would head out, during which Remus made the two of them dinner while Marlene made them cocktails. Once he was dressed in his Marlene approved outfit, they called an uber and made their way to the bar.

The Raven Room was an energetic, retro-style piano bar that was decorated to look like it was straight out of the 1920s. The atmosphere was always upbeat, friendly, and relaxed as the crowd indulged in cocktails and dancing. It was one of their favorite places to go, and not just because it was only a short uber ride from their apartment.

The bar was already full of people when Marlene and Remus arrived, many people dressed to embrace the theme and dancing along to a Blondie song spilling from the speakers. After grabbing themselves drinks from the bar, they managed to find a table along the wall as they waited for Dorcas.

It wasn’t long before Dorcas was joining them, dressed in a pair of leopard print flared pants and a black Bowie tee-shirt. They all got another round of drinks and joined the crowd of people on the dance floor. Remus wasn’t sure how much time had passed, the only indication being the steadily depleting drinks in their hands.

“I’ll get us the next round,” Remus said, leaning in toward the girls so he could be heard over the music. As he walked to the bar, he scanned the faces in the crowd. He was just about to order their drinks when he saw Sirius looking at him from across the room.

“What can I get for you?” the bartender asked, pulling Remus’s attention away.

“Three gin and tonics.”

Remus watched as the bartender made their drinks and was grabbing his wallet to open a tab when a pair of hands slipped around his waist, a nose nuzzling into his hair.

“Hello gorgeous.”

Remus turned around with a smile, draping his arms over his boyfriend’s shoulders before leaning in for a kiss.

“Hey baby. I’m glad you made it,” he murmured against his lips.

As he leaned back from the kiss, he caught the retreating form of Sirius Black hurrying out of the bar over Jackson’s shoulder.


	2. Chapter 2

It wasn’t that Remus found himself with a day off from work; usually, if he wasn’t working at the cafe he would use the time to work on some writing. However, today was one of the rare instances where he had finished all his freelance projects and had the day to whatever he liked. Realizing that he would have free time, Remus had sent Lily a message offering to watch Harry for the day if she had any errands she needed to run. Days off spent with baby Harry were his favorite.

Lily and James live in a small, white cottage style house not far from Remus in Sherman Oaks. It was a quiet neighborhood, with a few parks nearby that were always bustling with families. It was the perfect place to raise a family; Lily and James had been so excited to find out they were expecting and even more so when they managed to find a house in this neighborhood. It seemed the pieces of their life were falling together perfectly and Remus could not be happier for them.

The front door swung open as Remus approached the porch and Lily greeted him with a wide smile, little Harry resting on her hip.

“Remus!” Lily pulled him into a one armed hug and stepped away to let him into the house.

“Wemus!” Harry cried as he took him in his arms, a chubby hand reaching out and gently smacking Remus on the cheek.

“You’re so big! This can’t be our little baby-love,” Remus cooed, tickling Harry’s tummy and eliciting a scream of giggles from the child. He kissed Harry on the forehead before leaning in to give Lily a kiss on the cheek.

“Thanks so much for offering to watch Harry today, Re. I feel like I’ve been cooped up in the house so much lately.”

“You know I love spending time with Harry. You deserve a day to relax.”

“I probably won’t be out too long. I have a hair appointment and might get my nails done while I have the time. I can bring some lunch in for us on my way back?”

“That sounds perfect. Enjoy your day! Don’t feel like you need to rush back.”

When Lily left, Remus carried Harry into the living room and set him down on the rug. Harry toddled over to a bin of toys sitting by the fireplace and quickly dumped its entire contents onto the floor. As Harry sat on the rug in the middle of the room playing with his building blocks, Remus wandered over to admire the photos hanging on the wall. The wall of the living room was filled with framed photos, the smiling faces wordlessly telling the story of James and Lily’s life together. 

The first photo that caught his eye was from their time at Berkeley. The photo was taken at a football tailgate their junior year, the four of them decked out in blue and gold. Lily was up on James’s shoulders with her tongue out, her index finger and pinky up to throw up the “rock-n-roll” sign. Beside them, Remus was smiling at the camera with Sirius on his back, arms wrapped tightly around his shoulders as he planted a kiss to Remus’s temple.

The crashing of blocks mixed with a high pitched shriek from Harry caused Remus to turn around, a wide smile spreading across his face as he watched the boy clumsily crash through the small tower he created. Remus joined Harry on the floor, picking up blocks to start constructing a bigger tower.

“I want you to give your _biggest_ dinosaur roar this time,” he said, placing the last block at the top. Harry smiled wide before throwing himself at the tower, arms swinging side to side as he let out the cutest little roar Remus had ever heard.

“Oh my gosh!” Remus cried, covering his eyes and feigning fear which sent the toddler dissolving into a fit of giggles. They continued like that for a while, Remus building a tower and Harry knocking it down, sending blocks flying around the room.

When he’d finally tired himself out, Harry plopped himself in Remus’s lap and reached for his cell phone that was on the floor beside him.

“Baby shark!”

Remus picked up his phone and pulled up the video, hugging Harry from behind as he held the phone in front of them. The song was pretty annoying, but watching the way Harry laughed and kicked his legs along with the song as it sang the verse to “run away” made it worth it.

“Again!”

He had no idea how Lily and James didn’t go crazy with this song on repeat all day long. Remus scooped Harry up and carried him to the couch to get more comfortable. He had a feeling they would be watching this at least fifteen more times.

Remus sat on the couch, leaning back against the armrest so Harry could lay on his chest before starting the video over again. They watched the video on a loop until Harry slowly drifted to sleep with his cheek nuzzled into Remus’s sweater. He switched off the song and wrapped an arm around Harry’s back so he wouldn’t roll over.

Letting his phone drop to the couch beside him, Remus closed his eyes and started rubbing gentle circles on Harry’s back as he slept. Remus let himself relax and enjoy the peacefulness of the house, the only sounds coming from the ticking of the clock on the wall and Harry’s soft breathing.

At the sound of the door opening, Remus peeked his head over the back of the couch and held a finger to his lips. Lily set the take-out on the table in the front hall before closing and locking the door behind her.

“Oh my God. This is so precious,” Lily whispered, pulling out her phone and walking around the couch to snap a picture of the two of them. “I’ll lay a blanket on the floor and we can let him continue napping while we eat.”

Remus gently lifted Harry from his chest and placed him on the blanket, careful not to wake him before following Lily into the kitchen.

“How was your morning?” he asked, grabbing plates and silverware from the cabinet as Lily unloaded the take out onto the counter.

“It was great. I didn’t realize how much I needed a little me-time until I nearly fell asleep during my pedicure because I was so relaxed,” Lily laughed as she sat at the counter. Remus joined her and they began dishing food onto their plates as they spoke. “How were you boys?”

“It was really good. Though I’ll probably be singing Baby Shark in the shower for the next week.”

“Ugh, why’d you have to say that. Now it’s already creeping back into my head,” she groaned, gently shoving Remus’s shoulder.

“How’d that picture come out that you took? Can you send it to me?”

“Yes! Oh, it’s so cute. Look,” she said, pulling the photo up on her phone. “I’m definitely going to print this one and add it to the wall in the living room.”

“You might have to start expanding to another wall. You’re running out of room and Harry’s not even two yet.”

“I know. I just love looking at them all every day.” Lily made a bit of a face as she chewed, turning her head to the side to look at him. “Sorry, I know you might not like to see some of them”

Remus waved her off with a smile. “No, I love them. It’s nice seeing all the pictures every time I come over. I just can’t believe the girl who charged the field and stole a band member’s trumpet after we won the playoffs has a baby now.”

“You’re one to talk. I seem to recall a story of one Remus Lupin diving into my car naked screaming _‘Drive! Drive! Drive!’_ after being chased by campus police for streaking the quad.”

They both erupted into a fit of laughter, Remus’s wincing slightly at the memory of his college self.

“Truce?”

“Truce.”

They sat in silence as they finished their lunch. Remus took their plates and went to the sink as Lily cleared up the garbage.

“I actually saw him the other night.” Even with his back to her as he washed the dishes, Remus could feel Lily’s eyes on him as he spoke.

“You did?”

“When I was out with Jackson, Dorcas, and Marlene. Didn’t talk to him, though. He left pretty quickly.”

Lily walked over and leaned against the counter beside him, sighing as she crossed her arms over her chest. “I’m sorry, Remus. He really has changed so much since then, but - I don’t know.”

Remus switched off the water and turned to lean against the counter, facing Lily. “It’s okay, Lils. I think we’ve all changed a fair amount since college.”

. . .

_The door to Remus’s apartment swung open, slamming into the wall with a bang from the force at which it was thrown._

_“Are you INSANE? What the fuck are you doing?” Sirius yelled._

_Remus whirled around to face him, fuming as Sirius came to a stop in front of him._

_“I’m just doing a little bit of spring cleaning. Clearing out all the crap.”_

_“God. You’re actually crazy. Certifiably insane,” Sirius laughed, his tone dripping with disdain._

_“I’m crazy? I’M crazy?” Remus took a step toward Sirius, closing the distance as his voice grew louder. “This is your fault! YOU did this! I’m not stupid, Sirius.”_

_“Fuck, calm down,” Sirius shoved Remus in the chest._

_“Don’t fucking touch me. Take your shit,” he said, walking away to grab a duffle bag and shove it in Sirius’s arms._

_“Come on, baby. Don’t be so dramatic.”_

_“I said get out!” Remus yelled, picking up a book and hurling it in Sirius’s direction. He ducked out of the way and the book hit the lamp on the table, sending it crashing to the ground._

_“You’re not worth this shit.” Sirius slung the bag over his shoulder and left the apartment, the door slamming hard behind him._

. . .

Remus was pulled back to the present when he felt Lily give his arm a gentle squeeze. The soft look she was wearing told him that she knew exactly what he was thinking about.

“I’m happy now. Really, Lils. That so long ago,” he said, offering her a small smile.

“I’m glad, Re. I really do like Jackson. I think you two are perfect for each other. Will he be coming for my birthday? I’d love to see him again.”

“Yeah, he’ll be there. He’s excited, too. Won’t stop talking about Bridgerton and wants to know all of your thoughts on it.”

Lily threw her head back and let out a laugh. “We’ve been texting about it. I still have a few more episodes I’ll need to finish before then.”

In the next room, they heard Harry let out a cry letting them know that he was up from his nap. They walked into the living room and Harry’s face instantly brightened at the sight of his mother. Remus gave both Lily and Harry a kiss goodbye before leaving the house.

When he sat down in his car, Remus let his head fall against the wheel. It had been so long since he’d thought about Sirius. Seeing him at the bar and looking at all the pictures from their time in college left him feeling slightly overwhelmed by the memories. Remus took a deep breath as he picked his head up and started the car. He was about to pull out of the driveway when his phone buzzed.

 **Jackson:** You still planning to come over later? :)

Remus smiled to himself as he typed out a response.

 **Remus:** Of course. Can’t wait <3


	3. Chapter 3

The weather was uncharacteristically warm for a Saturday in January, making it the perfect day to celebrate Lily’s birthday. Remus was currently sitting in the passenger’s seat of Jackson’s car, holding Lily’s gift, a bouquet of flowers, and a bottle of wine in his lap. As they turned onto Lily and James’s street, Jackson reached a hand over to squeeze Remus’s and flash him a smile. They parked the car in the street and Jackson took the bottle of wine from Remus’s arms as they made their way up the driveway. The sound of music was drifting out from the backyard, signalling the party had already started outside.  


There were already a good number of people there, all milling about the backyard engaged in various conversations when they entered through the gate. Remus saw Lily chatting not far from the pool, her face lighting up as she excused herself from her conversation to greet them.  


“Hey guys! I’m so glad you’re here.” Remus smiled and leaned in to give her a kiss on the cheek, handing her the bouquet of peonies he was holding. Lily took the flowers in her arms before turning her attention to Jackson, giving him a kiss on the cheek in greeting as well.  


“Happy birthday, Lils. I can’t believe you’re 26!” Remus said.  


“Please don’t remind me. I’m officially in my late twenties,” she replied, faking a gagging sound before turning her attention to the flowers. “These are so lovely. Come with me, I’m going to go put these in a vase.”  


“I’ll go put this by the bar and get us some drinks?” Jackson asked before they walked off.  


“That would be great. Thank you,” Remus replied, leaning in for a quick kiss before following Lily into the house. Inside, Marlene and Dorcas were in the kitchen, sipping sangria and snacking on the platter of food that was laid out.  


“Remus! Oh, I adore that jacket. Is that the new one you got?” Marlene asked, smiling wide from where she was leaning against the kitchen counter. Remus instinctively looked down at his outfit at the statement. He was wearing a rust colored corduroy jacket over a white long sleeve tee-shirt, paired with dark jeans that were cuffed at the ankles and white high top converse.  


“Yeah, it is actually. Thanks. I swear you keep tabs on everything I wear, how is it that we always match?” He laughed, taking in Marlene’s outfit. She was wearing rust colored, high waisted bell bottoms with a tight white crop top and denim jacket.  


“You two have clearly been living together for too long. Your fashion sense is morphing into one,” Dorcas smiled, tossing her long hair over her shoulder.  


“We just have a connection,” Marlene said, pointing her finger at her head and gesturing back to Remus with a smile.  


“If you both weren’t so gay, you’d be perfect for one another,” Lily joked, filling a vase from the sink and arranging the flowers inside so that they sat perfectly before placing them in the center of the kitchen counter.  


“I, for one, am glad for that. I’m sure Jackson is as well,” Dorcas laughed.  


“Speaking of Jackson, I should go out and find him. I’ll see you guys out there.” Remus smiled and retreated from the house, conducting a quick scan of the backyard to locate his boyfriend.  


Remus spotted Jackson over by the drink table, back to him and engaged in conversation with someone he couldn't quite see from there. It’s only as Remus walks closer to him that he can finally see that the person he’s talking to is Sirius.  


Despite the bad blood that spilled between them, Remus and Sirius did still see each other on occasion. It was hard to avoid one another when they were both friends with James and Lily, and it was an unspoken understanding that neither of them wanted to sacrifice those friendships because of what happened between them. It had been a while since Sirius and Remus had had an actual conversation with one another, though. Usually, they tended to avoid each other when in the same room. If that wasn’t possible, the conversations were a short exchange of pleasantries before moving on to do something else.  


Steeling himself for what could be a potentially awkward conversation between the three of them, Remus walks up beside Jackson and places a hand on the small of his back to silently announce his presence.  


“Oh, hey babe. Here’s your drink,” Jackson said, smiling and handing Remus a glass of wine.  


“Thank you,” Remus replied, taking the glass in his hand and turning to Sirius. He gave a slight nod of his head as they made eye contact. “Hey, Sirius.”  


“Remus,” Sirius said, offering a small smile. Silence falls between them, neither really knowing what to say next.  


Remus fiddled with the hem of his jacket, trying to think of a way to keep the conversation flowing naturally. He hated subjecting Jackson to the obvious tension between him and Sirius. Jackson knew about Sirius, but that didn’t make these awkward silences any easier. They had that conversation long ago, discussing their exes and their past relationships. He had told him about his history with Sirius and how badly things had ended, and Jackson had been more than understanding about what he may be subjected to in order for Remus to maintain his friendship with James and Lily. Jackson took it in stride, always the one to bring Remus back when he was feeling anxious or guilty about forcing his current boyfriend to spend time with his ex.  


“Sirius was just telling me about his photography,” Jackson said, attempting to ease the uncomfortable energy in the air. “Do you ever photograph weddings, Sirius?”  


Sirius furrowed his brows slightly, his eyes flickering to Remus for just a moment before moving back to Jackson. “I’ve done a few before. It’s not my usual gig, though.”  


“Well, if you’re interested, a friend of mine from work has been talking about how he is in desperate need of a new photographer for his wedding. He’s been complaining about it for weeks. If you have any business cards, I could pass it along to him on Monday.”  


“Oh yeah, that’d be great.” Sirius pulled his wallet out of his back pocket, pulling out a business card and handing it to Jackson. “Thanks, man.”  


“No problem, I know he’ll really appreciate it,” Jackson said, sliding the card into his pocket before turning to Remus. “I’m going to run inside to the bathroom, need anything?”  


“No, I’m alright.” Remus flashed a smile as Jackson leaned in to kiss him on the cheek before disappearing into the house, leaving Sirius and Remus alone.  


Sirius slid one of his hands into his pocket, looking down at the ground as Remus took a sip of his wine to give him something to do. He didn’t want to be rude by running off and leaving Sirius standing here alone, but there just wasn’t really anything Remus could bring himself to talk to Sirius about anymore. The carefree and fun friendship they had was ruined years ago and it was hard for him to open himself up again to the man who broke his heart. While he had mended his heart and moved on after the breakup, Remus wasn’t sure what could be done to mend their friendship. They stood there in silence for what felt like hours, even though it was probably no more than a minute.  


“Jackson’s nice.” Sirius finally broke the silence, looking up from the ground and back at Remus.  


“Yeah, he’s really great.”  


“How long have you guys been together?”  


“About a year now.”  


Sirius nods. “Good for you.”  


“Thanks.” They fell silent again, the sound of James giving an enthusiastic yell from the other side of the yard drawing his attention away for a moment. Seeing this as his opportunity to politely leave the conversation, Remus pounced on it.  


“I should probably go say hi to James. Haven’t seen him and Harry since I got here. It was good to see you, Sirius.”  


“Good to see you, too, Re.” Sirius gave Remus a small smile which he returned before turning and walking across the yard. James is seated in the grass with his legs splayed out so that Harry can sit between them.  


“There he is! How are ya, Re?” James said, rising to his feet and nestling Harry on his hip before giving Remus a hard slap on the back.  


“I’m doing great, even better now that I’m seeing my favorite man,” Remus smiled, leaning in to give Harry a kiss on the nose.  


“I’m flattered, Re. Is it finally time for us to run off together into the sunset? I’m sure Lily will understand. I’ve got a go-bag ready in the car.”  


“In your dreams, Potter. You couldn’t keep up with me.”  


James gasped and gingerly placed a hand over his heart. “Rude.”  


Harry let out a giggle and reached his arms out toward Remus, who set his drink down and scooped him up out of James’s arms. Remus nestled his nose into his chubby cheek before blowing a raspberry against his skin, eliciting further giggles from the boy before he settled him on his hip.  


“There Harry goes, rubbing salt in his father’s open wound. It’s your own flesh and blood sometimes,” James said dramatically, looking down at the ground and shaking his head.  


“What’s up with you? You’ve got a face like a wet weekend,” Dorcas laughed, approaching them with a bottle of wine and topping off all of their glasses before setting it aside.  


“I had to break it to him that we would not be running away together.”  


“Don’t speak too soon. Looks like Marlene’s stolen your man.”  


The three of them looked across the backyard to where Marlene had taken Jackson by the hand, the two laughing and dancing to the thrumming rhythm of the Billie Eilish song that was playing. Marlene threw her free hand in the air, flailing in the sky above her as she whooped with happiness before Jackson pulled her in to twirl under his arm.  


“Would you like to reconsider the offer then, Mr. Lupin?” James asked, raising an eyebrow at Remus.  


“Absolutely not. I stand by the statement that you would not be able to keep up,” Remus laughed.  


“I second that. Sorry, Potter,” Dorcas laughed, taking a sip of her wine.  


“It’s alright. I’m just going to see what my chances are with Jackson,” James said, waggling his eyebrows slightly before hurrying off to join in the dancing.  


“You wanna dance too, Harry?” Remus asked, putting his wine down on the table and taking one of his little hands in his as he gently bounced up and down and swayed back and forth. Dorcas placed her glass down and joined in, dancing in circles with her hands in the air and periodically poking her head close to Harry to give him a kiss on the head.  


Placing a hand behind Harry’s head for support, Remus bent forward to dip him low to the ground before blowing another raspberry into his belly. Harry let out a shriek as Remus stood back up, letting out a laugh of his own. Remus lifted his eyes from Harry and locked eyes with Sirius, who was watching him with a soft smile on his face as Lily took photos beside him. Remus sent him a smile back before spinning in another circle with Harry.  


They danced in the backyard until it was time for cake. The rest of the day was full of laughter and stories as they all crowded into the kitchen, indulging on cake and wine. When it finally comes time for everyone to start heading home, Remus said his goodbyes to James and Lily before piling in Jackson’s car with Marlene and Dorcas to head back to their apartment. Marlene and Dorcas were talking animatedly in the backseat about the music on the radio while Remus is content to listen, staring out the window with a soft smile on his face. Jackson reached over to lace his hand with his, and Remus sent him a smile. It had been a while since Remus had felt so completely and utterly happy with his life, and he was looking forward to it staying that way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you haven't seen them yet, I've posted moodboards for all the characters on my Tumblr - madsholland.tumblr.com


End file.
